It’s 1963 in France and Anne is an ambitious, 23-year-old college student who becomes pregnant. She doesn't want to be. She's not ready to be a mother. But abortion isn’t legal in the country and won’t be for another 12 years. In the new film “ Happening,” Anne must find a solution on her own, though that choice also means risking her life and freedom.
“Happening” is a based on a true story. It belongs to author Annie Ernaux, who published her account of the traumatic experience in 2001. Forty years after the fact, Ernaux’s frank and honest memories of the unwanted pregnancy, the isolation, the fear and her determination struck a chord even though the procedure had then been legal in France for over 25 years.
